4F Friday!!

Well, it's Friday, and I'm stuck here at work for a wonderful 10 hours of work..

Not only that, but I'm also expected to make up some labor that had "lost hours" because of yesterday, so I'm doubly blessed in getting extra work piled on me as well!

But, true to form, I'm putting it all off to one side so that you call can have something new and interesting to read today:

Here are my 5 fun facts..

1. I didn't eat much at all yesterday, because I'm still fighting off this bug.

2. I was kind of pissed at my mom yesterday for being the "mother hen" and demanding that I go see a doctor for this said problem, since it also reinforced my wife's comments! (I hate being told what to do!!)

3. I'm hoping beyond hope that this next weekend without the kids will mean that I can take a small break, and get some much-needed sleep in somewhere. I'm starting to fall asleep on the couch, in a chair, at my desk, at the table, at my computer desk at home (I'm too scared to sleep here at work!).. Maybe I should go take some kind of sleep apnea test??

4. I'm seriously thinking about joining a gym for a while, and see if I can lose some extra weight. I'd really like to get back into the shape I was in when I came out of the service! (or at least close to it!)

5. I honestly enjoy sitting and watching movies with the kids, even if I have absolutely no interest in the movie itself. It's kind of nice to see them enthralled at what's going on, and how intently they'll watch to see if they can predict what's going to happen.


Anyway, there's my 5 things.

Hope you all have a great weekend, hope you had a good Thanksgiving (even those of you who don't celebrate the holiday can still have a good day!) and I'll talk with you all on Monday!

WTF Wednesday

Normally, I point out stupid things that I see around me, and poke fun at them.

Today, in the spirit of the season, I will point the looking glass inward, and poke fun at the things that I do that at times have even caused me to stop and ask.. "WTF?"


Let's start with the easy ones:

I profess to love my wife dearly, yet it seems that I've done nothing so much as bitch about each and every little thing that she does to piss me off..

Why do I do this? Why on this public blog? Why not in some personal journal instead of out here for anyone and everyone to read?

I don't know. I really don't.

I do know that because of her, I have become the man that I am today, and I'm getting better!
It's because of her love and devotion that my kids have a solid home to live in, and a safe and secure environment that they can grow up happy and carefree.

Because of her, I can see myself as a better father and husband. I even think there are times when I can picture, like a blur out of the corner of my eye, the man I could become. The solid and stable father figure everyone wishes for. That happy, jovial, kind, generous and giving person who never asks for anything in return but the love of his family.

Yes, I hope to aspire to this, and because of her, I honestly think that it's an achieveable reality.


How about my need to read about each and every person I can find that piques my interest?

Why do I do this? What's in it for me?

I tend to HATE gossip, and for that reason, I also tend to distain "reality TV" shows as well.

However, what was I doing last night? Watching Biggest Loser on TV.

If my wife turns on one of her shows, do I leave the room?

Yes, there have been times. However, more often than not I sit and watch the show with her.

Why?

I don't know. I don't know what my craving is for voraciously reading things in other blogs. I don't know why I'll be willing to waste an hour of my time watching a choreographed show that claims it's "reality". All I know is that even though I can't personally stand it, I'll deal with it because something in what I'm reading or watching has grabbed my attention at some point, and I wait to see if it's going to happen again.

With most of the blogs I read, this happens quite often, and I comment about them.

With the shows I've watched, it doesn't happen as much, but I still will try to see if something interesting will grab my attention again.

I don't know how to break that with the TV watching, but if I could, I don't know if I would.

I'm one of those who loves to watch people. I could sit at a table in a restaurant, and do nothing but drink a soda and watch the various people for hours on end. I used to make weird assessments about some of the folks I'd been watching as well. This used to upset my wife, because I was making assumptions about someone without knowing who they were. Now there were times that I was right, and she'd still point out that it was a guess, but nothing factual. Looking back, I'd have to agree. However, it is something that I've always done. Maybe I picked it up from my dad. He does the same thing in large groups. If he's not actively talking with someone, his eyes are scanning the crowd, taking in the sights, sounds, and actions going on around him.


I'm a voracious reader. There have been times where I'd waste a whole day doing nothing but reading on a book until I was able to put the finished novel down. I'd eat a little, drink a bit, take the occasional bathroom break (these breaks don't mean that the book was put down, however!), but I'd read, and read, and read until either the words got all blurry, or the book was done.

I've said before that I know there are things that need done around the house. So what's so important about a book that I can't put it down long enough to fold some laundry, or clean up some dishes?

Why do I insist on putting off yardwork? Why isn't the trim done on the inside of my house? How much longer until the windows that I've installed are COMPLETELY done?

I don't know. Maybe once I've gotten my game fix over, or read this last chapter, or seen this one show...

You know where I'm headed here, don't you?


Why do I insist on blogging? What's the attraction for me?

I think mainly for me the attraction is the chance to write, and have someone be interested in what I say.

Can I help that I'm an attention whore?

No.

But I can enjoy it!

That's my main draw.

I love reading some blogs, and getting ideas for how to write, and narrarate, and put things into my own perspective.

Yeah, it hurts sometimes when folks get serious with me, and give comments that tend to cut me down.

But I really don't think that it's going to slow me down any. As long as I'm writing what's in my heart, and saying things that are my personal perspective I don't really care who reads it. All you're doing by reading my blog is actually seeing the world through my eyes.

Yeah, it's nothing fancy. There's really no bells or whistles, or shiny flashing things. It's just what I see, what I have experienced, and how I've come to relate to it.

Anyway, that's my WTF Wednesday this week.

You all have a GREAT Thanksgiving tomorrow, and I'll read up and talk with you all on Friday!

2-Fer confession #2

I don't know what it is, but because of my last post, I've gotta say something here..

Recall that I don't like confrontation?

Well, because of the comment, I've gotta point out that if I'd GONE to the doctor, I'd have been regarded as being overly dramatic because of my cold..

Since I haven't gone, I'm being stubborn, and just plain silly.

How do I make the two work here? Where's the defining line?

I dunno..

ANYWAY....

I just love playing volleyball. Don't ask me why, I really couldn't tell you, I just enjoy it.

There's lots of activity, plenty of time to talk and have good conversation, and if you want to get competative, it's there for the taking as well.

I'm going to relate to you five of my favorite memories from playing, one that's quite recent, and others from my heyday of playing, which was about 4 years ago.

First, the most recent one.

I've just started playing again, and I've been trying to work the kinks and rust out of my game. I still have problems with my serve, because it's been so long since I've actually HIT a ball! My bumps are needing work, because I tend to skew them just a bit to the right, and my sets aren't all that bad, becuase I was quite a good setter.

This last weekend, my buddy came out to play, and we didn't have enough folks for full teams, but we decided to play guys against girls. This meant 5 girls, 3 guys. No problem, the guys would wipe the floor with them! (yeah, right!)

Anyway, we're into the middle of our second match, and I set the ball for my friend. Beautiful set. No spin, about a foot off the net, and right in stride for his jump.

The sun shines, angels sing, flowers bloom, the whole nine yards.. A true thing of beauty.

Then comes the magic moment. He winds up, gives a grunt of effort, and swings..

WIFF.

Wait.. That's not the end.

Yes, he did miss the ball with his striking hand.

However, he didn't miss it with his head.

Yup. Complete fan with the spike, but one grand headbutt to make David Beckham proud!

I tell you, it took me about 10 minutes to compose myself and be able to play again. Heck, just thinking about it makes my sides ache just a little..


Fond memory #2:

Back when I was voraciously playing volleyball, I was in a competative men's league. Three hits, blocks, traps, sets, fakes, the works! I loved playing this, because I learned so much about the strengths and weaknesses of tall guys, short guys, fat men, skinny ones, etc..

It was during this time that a friend and teammate of mine showed me "the serve". This monster could make the most hardened player pale with the speed and accuracy. I mean, he'd hit this thing, and you could hear the wind whistle past the ball as it headed for your body.

He taught this technique to me, and I've used it to good effect, but not as well as he has ever done. I know this for a fact, because he puts me to shame each time we get to play against each other!

Fond memory #3:

I recall when I used to be able to play for hours on end.

We'd start playing around with some pick-up games about 6:30 in the evening, and there were times I recall getting done about 11 or so that night.

Now?

I'm kind of glad that we only play for an hour or so! I don't think my aging body would stand much more, since I refuse to admit to myself that I can't play like I used to! (while writing this, I'm rubbing my knees and back, since I still insist on diving for those "questionable" balls!)

Fond memory #4:

I miss a couple of the folks I used to play with "back in the day". There was the Jokester, Mike, who had a way of playing hard, but still cause everyone to laugh like no tomorrow. I hope he's living his dream of being that stand-up comedian he always dreamed of.

Then there's Hep. The Cambodian nightmare who taught me how to play defense. The man stood about 6 foot, but only weighed about 150 pounds! He'd jump for a spike, and seemed to hang there for a few minutes looking for that perfect spot. It was amazing to watch. Well, that, and his defensive digging, when it looked like he was break dancing to get to a ball! He'd do "The Worm" move, put one hand down, the rest would serpentine behind his hands, and he'd be back up and moving before anyone could tell he'd been down to get a ball!

Good times, missed friends.

Fond memory #5:

I recall the last time our "gang" got together to play. Three were going off to college, Two had gotten new jobs, and one was getting "too old" to play anymore. We started the games like we always did, slow and easy, working up to the level we'd become comfortable at. Jokes were passed around, teasing about some plays were made, cheers for good effort was given, and a grand time was had by everyone. We then went out and had drinks and ice cream afterwards, and remembered the good times we'd had over the years.


I still think on those times, and while I'm now playing, I often wonder what they are all doing now.

You know, I should call a couple of them, and at least invite them out. You never know what might happen!

Have a great day, and have fun this Thanksgiving!!

2-Fer Tuesday! Confession #1

Yup.. It's that time again..

Here's something I've been thinking about this last week..

I really hate confrontation. I don't know why, but I just do.

I'm not one to get angry or upset very easily when someone tries to "get me started", but I can get angry at the drop of a hat over some things as well. I don't know why, but that's me.

Take this for example:

In my first marriage, there were times where my ex would WANT to get into fights. At these times, she'd pick, yell, scream, cry, and try anything to get me going. Usually, this was a day-long process.

Because of my temperment, I'd deal with her issues, and keep on going.. However, the pot was starting to boil.

Soon enough, I'd get my fill, and I'd pop. Yeah, I'd fight with her.

However, when I'd get to these points, I wouldn't be nice about it..

Newp. I got NASTY.

So we'd fight, it would be down and dirty for all of about 10 minutes, and then it would be over.

I'd then go grouse and grumble about the argument, she'd go and cry and wonder why I could be so mean.... You know how those go.

I guess that's one major reason our marriage didn't work out, but at least I learned something from it..


Now, I've got to be honest here. There are three people on this planet that know how to get me riled up faster than anything else.

Yup. My kids.

Frustration over repeating something 15 times just isn't my bag of tea. I really have no patience with ignorance, and it upsets me to no end.

Yes, I know they're kids, and they'll screw up. I give them this, and because of my temper, I do tend to go back and apologize if I overreact about something.

Here's an example of this kind of behavior:

My daughter and youngest son are barely a year apart in age. Because of this, they tend to play and fight and tussle with each other and their belongings even more than with my oldest son.

Last night, they decided to play Hide and Seek for a while. Everything went well, until my daughter decided that she wanted to pick up my youngest son, and carry him from his hiding spot to the "base".

Not being as strong as she'd thought, she dropped him on her way to the "base", and my son ended up jamming one of his fingers. This, of course, made him cry and scream bloody murder. Because of his crying, she then proceeded to yell at him, and tell him that he wasn't hurt, and that he'd be just fine if he'd stop crying (mainly to get out of being in trouble for hurting him, but heck, it was good advice at the time, don't you think?).

I came into the room, and checked out his hand. While looking it over, I calmly asked him what had happened. (I had been standing in the next room, and had seen everything, but I wanted to get their stories, if only to confirm what I'd seen)

He told me about their game, and my daughter's decision to carry him to their "base". he then told me that she "threw him down" because she was tired. I stopped him, and corrected this, because she didn't just throw him, it was an accident, and she hadn't meant for him to get hurt. I wiped up tears, gave him something to drink, an aspirin for pain, and sent him off.

Now, while this was going on, my daughter was doing something else.

I was checking over his finger, and quietly asking questions. She, however, was screaming at the top of her lungs, protesting that it wasn't her fault, he hadn't been hanging on well, it wasn't her idea, he hadn't fallen on that hand, etc...

After getting my son calmed down, I then turned to this erupting volcano of crying and emotion, and asked her to sit down.

Tears streaming down her face, she did, still proclaiming her innocense.

I knelt down beside her, and asked her for her side of the story. Loudly, she began telling me her side of it. Finding my son, him not wanting to count, her "helping" him get back here, his pushing off of her, and her trying to stop him but he fell anyway.

Since (as I'd told you before) I'd seen what had happened, I tried to correct her, and let her know what parts of her story weren't true.

This then caused another bout of screaming and crying.

That made my top BLOW.

I got up, told her to apologize to her brother, and then go sit in a chair for a while and think about what she'd done.

I don't know where the monster came from, but it took me over completely, and with no remorse.


Then, there's this issue I've got with passive-aggressive stuff, too.

Now, I'm no "man's man" type of guy. I enjoy things: sports, cars, electronics, video games as most stereotypical guys do. However, I wouldn't say that I'm the model of manhood, either.

I'm nothing like my dad. Before he retired, he would work nearly from dawn to dusk, then come home to eat and shower before watching TV for an hour or so just before his bedtime. Little, if any, time was spent with the kids. They usually just got in his way when he needed to get something done.

I'm also not much like my Father-in-Law. This man can't stand still. When he's at work, he's busy with work. When he's at home, he's gotta be doing something around the house.

To be honest, I admire his drive, but it's just not ME.

Right now? I'm sick. I've been fighting this same cough-type flu bug for nearly a month, and I'm getting irritable.

If I were my dad, I'd be taking off work until it was resolved. You can't work and be sick at the same time, so take care of yourself, and everything else will fall into place.

If I were my Father-in-Law, I'd ignore the problem, and eventually it'll all get sorted out. Can't miss work, because you gotta provide for the family.

I'm neither of those. I'm somewhere in between. Yeah, I can ignore the annoying stuff, and keep up with my schedule, because my family depends on me. However, if things get TOO out of control, then I need to take some time and get myself healthy in order to keep my sanity.

Somehow, this annoys my wife. If I tell her that I'm going to stay home from work because I'm sick, I get the eyeroll, a semi-disgusted sigh, and a small lecture about my work attendance, and my needing to manage my time off better.

Last night? I got the speech from her about needing to go see a doctor about my cold.

I don't get it.

Really.

Is she trying to tell me that when it's her suggestion that I'm sick, it's OK to be ill? Or is she trying to tell me that this has gone on long enough that she's tired of listening to it, and wants me to get it fixed? Is it that when _I_ make the announcement that I'm sick, it just must be some way of my wanting to avoid work, so it must not be all that bad?

I don't know.

I don't think I ever really will, to be honest.

I just wish I didn't feel like this right now.

Sorry for this disjointed post, maybe the next one will make more sense!

4F Friday!

Yup, that time of the week again!

Here we go with the things about me..

1. For some reason, I LOVE corny comedy stuff. Monty Python, Jackass, you name it, I'll watch and chuckle each and every time. Don't ask me why, I just do!

2. I'm a trained classical pianist.

3. I'm a voracious reader, and will sit down with a book and tune everything else out in order to get into a book I really enjoy. Don't believe me, just ask my wife!

4. My favorite song of all time (right now) has got to be Golden Earring's 'Radar Love'. It gets me moving each and every time I hear it, and I've got it on CD!

5. My least favorite song (right now) is Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow's "Picture". I've heard it butchered TOO many time while running Karaoke, and I really don't want to hear it anymore..


Well, those are mine, now it's your turn!

Have a great weekend!

Thursday Silliness

OK, I've been TOO serious these last couple of days, so I'm going to just play around, and see what happens...

Back in my High School days, I got a chance to tour the world for a while with a select international soccer team.

We first met in Denver, and practiced as a team for a week, then flew off to London. Once there, we were bussed to Liverpool, where our "home" field was going to be located.

There, we drilled with some of the world's leading soccer coaches, and learned quite a bit about what we DIDN'T know about the game.

Then came the exhibition matches.

First, we played at home. We lost. BIGTIME. can you say 8-1? Yeah, in soccer terms, that's a blowout.

Next, Arsenal. That one was closer, and we only lost 3-2. Still a pretty high-scoring game, but a good match.

Then London. This one we actually came out winning 1-0! We were stoked, and ready to face the world!

This turned out to be a good thing, because we then went on a MAJOR travel exposition, jumping from place to place.

From London, we went to Helsinki. Then to Olso, Berlin, Brussels, Paris, Geneva, Prague, Madrid, Rome, Athens, Jerusalem, Cairo, Johannesburg, Sydney, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and Washington D.C.!

The only places we didn't go that I really wanted to see as well were the Central and South American countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, etc..

Anyway, I honestly LOVED the time we spent.

My favorite city? I'd have to say Prague. It was AMAZING.

The architecture, the music that was EVERYWHERE.. The history, all in one place.

Not only that, but it was so CLEAN for a large city.

Most of the other places I'd been to were quite dirty.

Paris? Ugh.

London? Stunk.

Rome? Don't get me started..

Athens? Crowded and dirty.

Cairo? In the middle of a desert. Need I say more?

Anyway, it was just amazing. Free time was available from time to time, and so we'd get in small groups and go sightseeing.

Geneva would have been nice to visit for a longer period of time, but we basically went in for the game, and then right back out so we could make the deadline for our Prague appointment...

Madrid wasn't too bad, but since I don't speak Spanish, it was kind of tough to find someone willing to speak with you!

Since that time, I've always wanted to go back, yet I haven't had the chance yet..

Maybe someday I'll be able to.

Until then, I'll live with the memories, and dream of what could be!

Happy Thursday!

WTF Wednesday!

OK.

I've got another one that seems to be a recurring idea here on my blog..

As you may or may not know, my wife and I are trying to get pregnant.

I've had the vasectomy and the reversal. My count is low, so we're going to have to deal with artificial means to get that way.

However, before we can do that, we've got to make sure that my wife is ovulating first.

The way to do that? Give her drugs, of course!

Now, she's been going on some SERIOUS mood swings.. Hot, cold, up, down, sideways lately..

Not only that, but because they weren't working properly, they then DOUBLED the dosage!

Now? They've got to get her consistent.

Last month? No ovulation.

This month? She was early.. by 10 days.

And each month costs me another $20 for 5 pills..

The problem I've got here is this:

These pills make her irritable, grumpy, and really difficult to be around. I mean, most days I'm walking on eggshells just to be on the safe side!

Now, the idea behind these pills is that she'll ovulate, and that will assist in getting her pregnant.

That's great. I applaud this.

However, one of the ideas to getting pregnant is to HAVE SEX, right?

I mean, that's supposed to be a PERK of all of this, isn't it?

Yet with the anger, frustration and emotions, NOTHING happens.

Woo. Freaking. Hoo.

Not only that, but then I get these kind of responses from her as well:

"With what we're going through, I don't think we should have kids right now!"

"I can't see you as the parent of my child"

"You certainly don't act like a father"

Do you see a dilemma here?

How is it that these "miracle" drugs that are supposed to help us reach her goal of becoming a mother are completely tearing us apart?

Do the doctors who prescribe these drugs actually look at the mental aspects of these drugs before writing the prescription for them?

Tell you what: Next time I see that doc, I'm going to have him give his wife the same pills for six months, and see how happy HE is with his wife a raging hormonal monster..

I mean, seriously here..

How happy can a marriage be when someone is completely unstable?

Now, I LOVE.. and I _do_ mean LOVE my wife. She's a wonderful woman, and I'm the luckiest man to have earned her love and affection.

But these past few months while she's been on these pills has been a literal HELL for me.

My biggest fear right now is this:

Once she gets pregnant, and has this baby (babies), is my "old" wife going to come back to me, or am I going to end up with a different person?

I don't know.

I'm just really REALLY worried about the post-partum depression stuff too..

Is THAT going to be magnified because of these drugs as well?

Dear God, I hope not!

So my WTF is this:

They give a drug so you can get pregnant, IE have sex.

Yet because of the drug, she can't stand you, so you don't have sex.

How exactly is this promoting anything??

That's like offering a diet pill to help you eat less.

However, because you take the pill, you'll want to drink more water, and retain it.

So you stop eating, but you're still gaining weight because you can't get rid of the water gain.

Same difference, just a new body area!

Sometimes, I really hate pharmecuticals....

2-Fer Tuesday.. Confession #2

Well, I'm going to let you all in on some history of who I am, and how I came to be.

I'm the oldest of two boys. My brother is 4 1/2 years younger than I am.

My parents are still married, and are headed for their 40th wedding anniversary pretty soon.

But I'm going to let you all know about something that I touched on in my earlier post.

I'm a liar.

Yes, that makes me a bad person, doesn't it?

If you think that, then you can stop reading now.

If you want to find out how I came to be this way, then feel free to read on.


Growing up, I was taken care of by my grandparents. Both of my parents worked full-time jobs, and usually put in TONS of overtime, so we didn't really get to see them much. I'd go to school, get out of school, head home, do homework, eat dinner, then get picked up by my mom and head home in time to take a bath or shower, and get to bed. I'd hardly ever see my dad when it wasn't a weekend.

Then the time came when my mom decided that I was going to be old enough to be home by myself. I was 10.

I was given a list of things that I was expected to do once I got home. Here's the list:

1. Start dinner. This was then to be ready to serve at 5. If it was later, spanking.
2. Start a load of laundry. Clothes needed to be washed daily. If fresh laundry wasn't done, spanking.
3. Clean the house. A literal white-glove test was done each night. Failure meant a spanking.
4. Vacuum. If there wasn't fresh tracks in the green shag carpet from my vacuuming of the house, a spanking would be forthcoming.
5. Clean dishes and empty out dish washer. Failure to comply will result in a spanking.
6. Homework. Any non-passing grade will result in severe penalties.
7. Shower - Quickly. Anything over 5 minutes spent in the shower will result in a spanking.
8. Bed.

This was my routine from the time I was in 5th grade. I'd get home, and make sure that dinner was ready and going. Then I'd run through the house, pick up all the laundry I could find, and start a load. Once that was done, I'd grab the Pledge and a rag and start wiping down each and every surface I could find. Then I'd grab and start vacuuming the carpets and floors. Once that was done, it was usually time for dinner. The table would be set, and we'd eat. Then i'd clean up the table, wash dishes, and put them away. That would then leave me just enough time to sit down at the table to do my homework, and get it finished. Once done, I'd jump into the shower, scrub, and get ready for bed.

I can't tell you how many times I was spanked, to be honest. Things like finding a line of dust on the coffee table because I was a bit careless, or a piece of crusted-on food that I couldn't get out of the crack of a tupperware lid (I still hate those things!), or one section of carpet that didn't look like it had been vacuumed.. All these things led to spankings.

Needless to say, I got used to them, and they didn't really faze me one I hit middle school.

Now at this point my mom was at a very stressful time in her career. She worked as a nurse, and the hospital that she'd been working at was bought out by the larger hospital in town. Because of this, she had to relocate her job, lost her seniority, and was busted down to "new hire" status.

This led her to come home at night in really foul moods.. Which she would then find an outlet in beating me.

However, because of my lack of response in getting spankings, she then resorted to more "creative" ways to punish me. Plus, she found more things for me to be responsible for.

I recall one time being beaten with the rolling pin she used to make bread and pie dough with..

I also remember the time I'd been told that I could go play with a friend, only to be told just after she got home that I was going to stay home. I argued, and then was knocked out. I found out later that she'd ripped the top off of a piano bench, and belted me alongside my head with it. This resulted in my being taken to the hospital to be treated for a concussion and minor skull fracture. My mom's explanation? I had been playing football in the street, and dove for a catch - hitting my head on the curb.

No questions were asked, because she was a fine upstanding member of the hospital, and it was an era of "don't ask, don't tell" as well.

Finally, I got my chance at freedom.

When starting High School, I found that I could get a job, if my parents signed a release form.

So, I took the form to my dad one weekend, and convinced him that I needed a job in order to pay my own way.

Once the dotted line was signed, I took it back to school, and got a release from them so that I could get work. Once I got my first three checks, I moved out of my parent's house.

I was VERY lucky in that I'd had an older friend who was willing to let me move in and stay with him. If not for that, I'm sure I would have been in some serious trouble. As it is, I still got into trouble, but I did manage to get through it all mostly in tact.

Yet because of the fact that I would get beaten for any failing, I developed a severe defense mechanism.

I'd lie.

I'd get asked questions, and I'd make up an answer to avoid a beating. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it failed MISERABLY. Other times, it was ignored.

Yet this behavior was more like a "fight or flight" response. Any time some kind of confrontational challenge was issued, the response was almost immediate. Lie. Make it good. Memorize it. Recall for later stories.

Now, I'm not excusing my behavior. There really should be no reason to lie.

However, in my defense, I honestly feel that some of my lies probably saved my life.

Those times when my mother would come into the house, and you could feel the anger, rage, frustration and overall peevishness of the day washing off of her like heat from a furnace - those were days to make up really REALLY good lies.

You might ask yourself where my dad was in all of this? Working.

My mom didn't try to leave bruises, and when there were bruises, well, I'm a growing overactive boy, and things do tend to leave marks.

So, if he wasn't there to observe it, it was my word against my mom's.. Who do you think he'd believe?

Exactly.

Now? I cope with my mom, and I still try to keep the lines of communication open. However, there are serious times at their home when I can feel trouble brewing, and it is at those times when I'll pack up the wife and kids, and head for the safety of home.

Do I still love her?

Yeah. Of course I do. She's my mom.

Do I accept what she did?

Absolutely not. There's no excuse for it.

This is also one more reason why I love my wife. Because she's helping me to learn to be a much better parent than I grew up learning from. Now? I can parent with love instead of discipline. I can discipline with moderation, not rage. And I can now say "I love you" to my kids without feeling semi-silly.

Anyway, that's my rant. I hope it didn't bore you. I'll have something less serious to talk about tomorrow!

2-fer Tuesday.. Confession #1

Here's #1..

I'm a gamer.

Sue me.

Yes, I enjoy playing my stupid video games.

For me, it's a way to relax, escape, and just not think or worry about the things that went on in my day. When I play during the weekend, it's my way of unwinding from the stress of the week, and getting myself back to that "happy place" that I need to be in so that I can subject myself to the stress and chaos that invades my life while at work.

Yes, I know that there are things I could do that are more constructive. There's stuff around the house that needs fixing, there are dishes in the sink that should be rinsed and put into the dishwasher, there's a dog that loves the attention...

To be honest, I don't mind doing those things. However, I'd much more enjoy doing those things once I'm better set mentally, you know?

I'm not saying that what I'm doing is really acceptible. What I'm saying is that I've found a way to cope with the stresses that come at me, and that until I can find some other effective way for me to deal with it, I don't think it's going to change much.

Next.

I'm also a liar.

Yes, I lie.

The sad part is, that I've gotten GOOD at it.

Because of my situation when I was growing up, I learned to make things up in a hurry, with no preparation whatsoever. This made me able to juggle quite a few stories, and keep them all fairly feasible.

This also destroyed any kind of accountability that I had for myself, and basically had me wondering WHO I really was. I was one kind of person for this one, and a different kind for this next one, etc..

Thanks to the tough love and support of my wife, I've been able to fight this habit. I still stumble from time to time, but for the most part I'd say that I'm recovering very nicely.

I'd kind of equate my lying to an alcoholic. For me, even telling the "little white lies" was the same as taking a drink while trying to stop. It doesn't just stop at that "one little lie".

No, it blossoms.

How?

Because then I rationalize with myself. "That wasn't too bad, you can handle this" then becomes "well, that was a bit much, but still not bad.." to "Where am I going with this, and when did it get out of control?"

You see?

I have to remind myself DAILY about not making things up on the fly.

There are times where I really don't want to deal with things, and I'm sorely tempted to just say something in order to get that person off my case, and away from me.

Usually, I am able to beat the urge.

However, there are times when I become human, and I fail.

Anyway, just a little taste of my life for you.. More to come later!

Another 4F Friday!

Well, it's Friday again, so here are some more factoids..

1. I finally got a chance to play Volleyball again. First time playing in about a year, and I'm SORE.

2. I am totally crazy-type in love with my wife.

3. There are times when I wish I could have stayed in the service instead of getting out when they made the stinking cutbacks.

4. Certain songs bring back memories, and I love it when I hear Jim Brickman's "Love of My Life" done.

5. I'm great at finding reasons to procrastinate when I don't want to do something.


Well, those are my facts about me for today.

Hope you have a great weekend, and I'll talk with you all again on Tuesday when I get back!

Thursday's Ramble..

Well, time for the mind to just wander, and say what it wants.. Enjoy!

I don't think I've ever told anyone this, but I've got a confession to make.

I was the reason my brother got his first ticket.

And because of this ticket, it's also the reason he wasn't allowed to get his license back until he turned 18.

Now, I know that your interest is probably spiked a bit, so I'll tell you all the story.

My brother is 5 years (well 4 1/2 according to him!) younger than me.

I was "living the dream" with a driver's license and a car when I was in High School.

I had that beater of a '71 Super Beetle, and I drove the thing to death.

Then, I got into college, and things were even better.

No set schedules, papers were due, but it wasn't required to be at the class in order to commplete them, or turn them in, attendance wasn't an issue, only the work for the specific subject mattered.

So much different from High School. There, you HAD to be in the class. Attendance made up about 1/4 of the grade. Not only that, but the teachers there HAD to know more than you about the subject, so they really took offense if you pointed out something that was lacking in their teaching cirriculum.

In college? Nah. The professors and instructors LOVED the challenge of coming up with new ideas. Pushing the boundaries was accepted and desired. Showing up for class? Not so much. If you made it, you got to listen to the lecture, and learn. If you didn't, well.. I hope you know enough to make the grade for this or that paper..

Anyway, I ramble.

So, while in college, I got to pretty much party and play while getting classes done.

One of the biggest play things I did was to drive around town with friends.

We'd drive out and cut cookies at the local beach, or see who could make the longest skid mark in the parking lot, or jump (see my post on "The Jump") stuff in my car..

The time finally came around when my brother finally got his permit.

After that, it was a short time before he got his license.

And brag about it he did!

I was kind of offended when I found out that he was getting a car even before he'd gotten his permit, let alone before he could really afford one.

My grandpa had told my brother that once he got his license, he could have his Pickup for his first car.

Now, the rules I'd been given to be able to drive were this:

First, I had to have a 3.0 or better GPA.

Next, I had to work, and earn the cash for my car.

Then I had to make sure that I was able to afford the insurance and gas and maintenance for said car as well.


Now, I was able to do all these, and for my trouble, I got one hell of a beater car.

Sure, it was a decent car, and I drove it until the wheels (literally) fell off, but it was MY car.

Now, I was kind of pissed when I found out that my brother was going to be able to cut corners.

First off, my brother NEVER made his GPA above a 2.5. He just wasn't into school.

Secondly, he didn't even bother to look for a job until after he'd dropped out of high school, so earning the money didn't seem to apply here, either.

Because of the no job situation, I highly doubt that he was going to buy and maintain his insurance, gas, oil, or maintenance for said car.

Who then, footed the bill for this?

Yup. You guessed it.

My parents.

The same folks who demanded that I take pride and responsibility for my work and vehicle were the same ones who basically told my brother to run off, and have a good time with their investment.

Well, I decided to see how far that would stretch...

The day after my brother got his license, I invited him to come out to a gig my friends and I were at.

After the band closed for the night, we went over to another friend's house, and partied until about 4am.

Seeing a window of opportunity here, I challenged my brother to an across-town race.

First person back to the house we started from after making each point won.

Before we left, seven folks left to camp out at the points I named as being places you needed to get to.

Then, we waited until we got calls from said observers, and we picked passengers for our cars, and headed out to get started.

I picked a close friend to ride with me, and my brother picked his best friend to ride alongside him.

Now, as you'll recall, I was in a VW Bug, and my brother was driving a Pickup.

His truck was a 1968 Chevy 1/2 ton monster.

So, we're talking about a little 4 cylinder toy going up against a solid steel V-8 moving machine.

I was at a severe disadvantage.

So I decided to let the acceleration and cruising speed of my car make up the difference.

My brother's idea? Shadow me, and beat me to each checkpoint.

So, we took off. I had a great feel for the city, and the lights and locations.

The only real problem I had was that my brother was following, and could overpower my little car when it came down to the last few miles to the checkpoint.

So, I started messing with him.

I increased my speed, and started really challenging lights.

Yellow? Bah, don't pay attention.

Red?

If it's been red, slow down a little, and hope it changes. If it's just changed, ignore it, and keep going...

After the first couple of run red lights, my brother decided that I HAD to be cheating, and he was going to beat me at this game, too.

We were headed to the last checkpoint, and I was running my little car for all it was worth.

The speed limit? Oh, 30 MPH.

My speed? 60.

I thought I had this last one in the bag, and then easy sailing back to the house.

Then, it happened.

The monster FLEW past me.

I mean it.

According to his admission these many years later, he was going about 75-80 MPH..

Yup. In a 30 MPH zone he was going FAST.

Well, time came to make the turn, and I jumped into the turn lane, and made the correct turn.

My brother, screaming along just ahead of me, saw that I'd turned, and decided to make a hairpin turn while still moving at full speed.

This, combined with his non-use of the brake, set him into a power slide that sent him into the middle of a very busy intersection.

Not only that, but he'd ran the red light as well.

Right in front of two city police cruisers, and a sherrif's patrol car as well.

He hadn't seen them, and once he regained control, he flew down to catch me.

I spotted his headlights just behind me, and thinking quickly, doused my lights, and ran into a side alleyway.

Unbeknownst to me, this spared me from the same fate, as the Red and Blue lights came on, and proceeded to chase my brother.

Me, in a minor state of panic, thought that they were after BOTH of us, as there were THREE cruisers in pursuit, not one.

I ducked down alleyways, through back streets, and even cut through a yard hoping to ditch the cars before my friend told me that there was nobody behind us.

I then did what any stupid racing brother would do..

I went back to see what was going on with my brother.

Well, the three cars had pinned my brother's truck, and they were busy patting him down when I drove nonchalantly by to see what was happening.

My brother's friend was already cuffed an in one of the cars, and before I got too much further, they'd slapped the cuffs on him as well.

Knowing that he was going to squeal on me for also racing, I headed home, hoping to partially secure an alibi for where I'd been while he was out getting caught.

This was not to be, as the cops drove him and his friend directly to my house.

Needless to say, my parents WEREN'T thrilled with the idea of us racing, and the held me mostly responsible as I was the older brother, and shouldn't have goaded him into racing in the first place.

Well, after the small hearing, my brother got his license taken away until he turned 18, and he proceeded to make my life a living hell by getting a ride from me whenever he wanted by reminding me of this night.

To be honest? I don't think I'd change a thing.

Yeah, I got in trouble, and I could have killed us both..

But damn, it was fun!

WTF Wednesday

I'm going to start talking on Wednesdays about things I've seen or heard that have made me stop and ask "WTF?".

As such, I'd also like to have some participation from the readers, and give me your instances where you've had something similar.

This way, we can all have a bit of a release, and a chuckle!

OK here's mine for the day:

Last Friday, while I was doing an inspection, one of my managers was bragging to me about how he's a natural-born "numbers" kind of guy. It just comes natural to be able to quickly and accurately count out items, the time, etc.

This same manager called me at 9am that morning to the inspect one of the trailers.

In the middle of this inspection, I went to lunch with his department, so as not to disrupt their timing and workload.

I finished the inspection at noon.

Once I was done, and let him know, his immediate response was:

"It took you 5 hours to get that done?!?"

Now, I don't know about this, so let's you and I do the math:

I started at 9am.

Lunch was taken at 10am.

I came back from lunch at 11am.

I was done at noon.

So.. 9-10 is one hour, and 11 to 12 is another hour..

Even taking lunch into account, I come up with 3 hours. If you deduct the lunchtime, it's 2.

I don't know about you, but neither of those numbers is 5.. Well, unless you add the two together.

So remind me to NEVER let this man near my taxes, budget, bills, bank statements, time cards....

OK, your turn:

Let me hear what interesting things have made you do a double take this week, and we'll get a good chuckle over it!

Questions, Queries, and Posers..

Just who defines what a holiday should be?

What makes one holiday a paid vacation, and the next one that is observed, but still a workday?

New Year's Day - Paid vacation.

Memorial Day - Paid vacation.

Labor Day - Paid vacation.

4th of July - Paid vacation.

Thanksgiving - Paid vacation.

Christmas Day - Paid vacation.

*I know there's one more for my job, I just can't for the life of me figure it out just yet!*

So all in all, I get seven paid vacation days.

Yup. Seven.

We're closed on Sundays, so Easter is out.

But now we come to this day. Veteran's Day.

I have to wonder why it is that we can have Memorial Day, and NOT work, but then turn around and have a Veteran's Day, and work our tails off.

Excuse me, but I thought that even though we don't just remember veterans on Memorial Day, isn't it basically about the same thing here?

Why take a vacation for Labor Day, and not Veteran's Day?

Who really makes these decisions??

Is it any less of a sacrifice if there has been someone who served in the armed forces, yet never saw combat?

I think just to serve is a right to be able to take a day such as this, and look back on all you did for your country.

Sure, you weren't in "active" combat duty, but it was ACTIVE duty.

If something had come up, and the country had needed you, you'd have been one of the first ones on the front lines.

So my question still stands: Where's the definition of what constitutes a vacation day?

Do we really care so little for our service men and women, that we'll dedicate a national holiday to labor, but not to our veterans?

I don't know. I really love this country, and I love the people who I've served with who fought and defended our right to a sovereign nation.

I can't stand that there are bureaucrats out there who only think of these people as pawns in their quest for glory and power.

I implore anyone who reads this to go and thank someone for being willing to sacrifice their life and family for this nation.

If not them, then who?

Would you step into their shoes?

Thank you to all who are serving, and all who have served.

Your sacrifice is a testament to us all, and should be rewarded more than this a hundred times over.

God bless, and keep you.

2-Fer Tuesday!!

It's that time again!

Ok, here's the first one, and it's kind of a WTF were they thinking.. AGAIN?!?!

I got to work this morning, and was waking up to some news when I heard this little tidbit that really got my blood boiling.

AIG, you know, the insurace GIANT who is declaring that it needs 150 BILLION dollars in order to keep from going bankrupt and taking the rest of the US economy with it, has done it again..

Last time they got bailout money, they sent corporate executives off for a golfing junket in California!

I don't know about you, but if I were teetering on the verge of bankruptcy, and I got some cash to pay off my debts, I don't think I'd use the money for a Disneyland vacation..

This time? They're still hollering for money to bail them out. And what did they do?

Spa Treatments.

Yup.

Corporate folks were seen going to Colorado for a conference, and while there, treated themselves to lavish spa treatments.

Let's see.

First, you need money so you can go play golf, and fritter away a couple million.

Next? You then run off to some conference, and get facials, massages, and waxing??

I'm no financial genius, but this sounds completely ridiculous!

I mean, in order to make capital gains, I know that you've got to get in with the companies and talk shop. I understand that.

But to then treat yourself to lavish spa treatments, and golf junkets, and whatnot really bothers me.

Impress a client with the ability to budget, and spend within your means.

If your company is going bankrupt, then don't go blowing tons of cash for a Caribbean getaway.

If you're trying to impress them, do it with your financial portfolio, and not your pocketbook.

Anyway, that's my rant for now, more to follow later today!

Five Fun Facts for Friday (Now to be known as 4F Friday)

1. I can't stand Spinach. I've tried and tried to eat my leafy green goodness, but I just can't appreciate the stuff like Popeye. Maybe I'm trying too hard?

2. I love animals. When I was younger, I used to somehow attract animals to me like a fur magnet. I could walk three blocks from school, and in that time have two cats, a dog, and some kind of hamster follow me home. (true story!)

3. I would really like to lose about 80 pounds. When I got out of the service, I was 275 pounds of muscle. Now? Not so much. My ideal weight would be around 220, so you do the math!

4. I'd love to be able to balance my play time and family time perfectly. Me? I'm an all-or-nothing type of fella, so I tend to obsess when I'm doing something. If I'm with the family, then I will either dive right in, and focus everything on them, or I'll try to find any excuse to do whatever it is that has been on my mind. If I'm playing a game, I'll focus totally on that.

5. I'm not superstitious, but I don't like tempting fate, either. Yeah, I could really care less about things, but if I had the option, I wouldn't press my luck. There are times where I don't care, and I'll do something stupid just to see what will happen. Then there are the times where I tend to walk VERY carefully, and make sure that I don't bring down some nasty Karma or Juju on myself. I don't know why I do this, I just do..


Now, your turn! Give me some fun facts about yourself, and see how we relate!

It's Thursday!!

I'm on the downhil side of my 4-day work week.

Yeah, yeah, I know, I've got it rough.

Four days, on, three days off.

Granted, it's been slow work here lately, thanks to the economic recession.

Sales have been down over 55% this quarter alone, compared to last year.

This time last year I was working in other departments instead of mine, and I had no say in the matter.

This year? They've ASKED me to stay in my department, and have even asked if I needed someone to help with minor clean-up issues!

I'd say things are quite slow.

So, I'm going to ramble on a bit about some things that have bothered me this last year.

I've been working for this company for over 3 years now. Granted, that's not a lot of time, but in this short amount of time I've noticed a couple of things that really bother me about this place.

One, there is an "Us and Them" kind of relationship that goes on between the management and laborers.

I'm not saying this has to be a close-knit workplace, but there should at least be some kind of barrier breakage going on of some kind.

Right now, if someone were to complain (validly) about a manager, that person making the complaint would be on a timer. When the timer ran out, the employee would be ran out.

No, it's not right, but that's how it is here. Managers can do no wrong, and if there happens to be something that DOES go wrong, it must be because of the failure of an associate.

This type of narrow thinking added fuel to my fire on yesterday's post, as I had to deal with some stupid stuff like that yet again yesterday morning.

Another thing that bothers me? The attendance policy here.

If you show up for work, and do your job, should there really be any problems?

Does it really matter if you clock in not exactly at 4am, but maybe at 4:01 or 4:02 am instead?

Apparently it does.

Yet, by this same instance, I know of management folks who show up HOURS late, and get comlimented on actually showing up at all!

Apples and oranges, I guess.


Then there's other stuff.

Why is it that when you ask for something online, it usually comes with about 17 pages of ADs to fill out for junk you've never wanted, seen, or desired?

Why do they feel the need for you to take a "quick quiz", and then spend over 3/4 of your time skipping and denying "Great savings offers!"??

Why should the companies pay someone for making up a site like that? To be honest, I think that those companies should be paying me for the time I just wasted dealing with their crap, really.


What's the attraction of Reality TV shows?

Who really wants to see that stuff?

Does it make you feel better about yourself that you can see just how much more screwed up some people are, and that they're willing to show it on "Live TV"??

Can you really call it "Live" TV when it still is produced and cut before airing?


I think I'll stop there. My head hurts, and it looks to be a nasty workday today.

Everyone take care, and I'll talk with you all tomorrow!

Wednesday Weirdness!!

Yes, I'm coming down with the bug..

I read these on another blog, and I just had to do these myself, mainly because they really got me thinking..

That said, here we go!

1. If you were in a situation where it was either starve to death or resort to cannibalism, would you resort to cannibalism to stay alive or let yourself starve?

I'd have to say that I'd go the way of the Donner Party, and resort to cannibalism. I've got a very strong sense of self-preservation, and if it finally came down to eating human flesh to stay alive, I'd take that route, if it were my only option left.

2. Do you know all of the words to the National Anthem and the Pledge of Allegiance?

Yes and Yes.

3. Do you consider yourself a Leader or a Follower.

This one is tricky for me. I'll follow, but if need be, I'll also stand up and take charge. Sometimes this also gets mingled up when I decide to take charge while someone else is trying to lead. As such, I'll either stand up and state my position, or I'll defer, and see where the leadership will take me. So I'm kind of wishy-washy on this one..

4. What is your favorite holiday? Why?

It's gotta be Thanksgiving. I recall TONS of times where all of my family has gotten together, and we've feated until we're too full to stand, and then lie around the house, having great conversation and fun. Then, we'd get out the family games, and play cards, or pictionary, or something, and just let loose..

I really miss those times!

5. In what ways, if any, are you superstitious?

To be honest, I myself am not very superstitious at all. Yes, I believe in "other things" that are out there, but I don't have any real quirks about them.

However, I'll abide by other people's superstitions, and I'll do what needs to be done in order to keep them satisfied and happy.

Thus, I'm supoerstitious only as much as the next person around me.. Make sense? *wink*

6. If you had to pick a creature from the "Mythical Creatures Guide" to be your pet, which would you choose, and why?

I'd go with the Troll.

Why? Because I'd be the better looking one, and I'd have one kick-ass enforcer to do all of my dirty work!


Anyway, there ya go! Hope you enjoy yourself, and have some serious fun!

Are you FREAKING kidding me??

I'm doing something I don't normally do, but because of what's going on in my mind, I needed to get this done before anything else.

Normally, I check my emails, then I read through some blogs before I make my entry for the day.

Not so today.

I dealt with something that has pissed me off so badly, that I needed to get it aired out, and see what you all think.

Last night, we set a new precedent.

We now have an African-American President-Elect.

Me? I'm all for it.

I really hope that he's able to follow through with all of the campaign jargon that he was able to spit out, and not just blow hot air up our collective asses.

I'm not really expecting him to follow through more than any other president we've had, but then again, maybe he'll surprise me!

What really bothered me is this:

My wife's youngest neice has a MySpace account, and we check on her every so often, just to make sure that she's not putting stuff on there that could get her in trouble.

Last night, there was an update stating "The only reason Obama's ahead is because the white folks haven't gotten off work yet".

I had to do a double-take of this.

Then I had to stop and think where she'd be.

I figured it out. She was at her dad's house.

Now, her dad is a hard-working man, but he's also a lying, cheating, racist bigot.

It was very sad to see that his attitude was focused not only on what was happening with the election, but was also severely influencing his daughter.

Once it had been determined that Obama was going to win, there was a new update put on my neice's page..

It read: "Obama might have won, but he'll never live to get into office. When that happens, I'll laugh"

That straw broke the camel's back. My wife called her, and proceeded to chew her butt.

In the background, however, you could hear her dad ranting and raving over having the "N-word" president screw this country over.

I don't know about you, but this nearly sent me over the edge!

I believe in freedom of speech, and the right to bear arms.

I believe that each and every person has the right to vote for who and what he believes in.

I also know that there are racist folks, not only whites, but blacks, hispanics, indians, etc.

I also know that there are more racist than non-racist people in this world right now, and that really bothers me.

I mean, what good is it going to be if we try to claim our independence, but limit ourselves to just going through the motions?

It's like saying that we can cook, but only if someone else does it for us.

Why pawn off the hatred and ire onto your kids?

I might not like some of the things that Obama stands for, but I still believe that he can do a passable job, if given the chance. I intend to give him that chance.

Others have made it clear that they don't want to even see the option, let alone the chance.

Don't foist your beliefs and hatred onto your kids. Let them decide for themselves what is right and wrong. Let them make their own choices for their behavior and responses to race.

Me? I talk with my kids, and I let them know what I believe. I have also told them that they can choose how to act with others. But I caution them NOT to look solely at skin color, but at the person they are first and foremost.

Why do I say this?

Because I myself am of a mixed heritage.

I'm American Indian, German, and Swedish. Now, the white supremacists would applaud my white heritage, while denouncing my American Indian bloodline.

Me? I like the history that is entailed in each bloodline I have.

However, I've also been belittled by some American Indians because of my "white man" mixed blood, and been kicked out of meetings and gatherings by these same folks that I can claim a common bond with.

Thus, I tell my kids to look at the person, and not the color.

Judge someone by their actions, not by race.

Give them a chance, and if hey throw that chance into your face, then you can decide for yourself whether or not they deserve to be where they are.

I intend to give Barack Obama a chance.

He's earned it in my book.

But I don't like hearing the sinister rumblings from small-minded bigots who think that because they're white, they have the final say in what happens in this country.

To be honest, white people are in the minority anymore, and they better start thinking like this, or they're going to get us all in a LOT of trouble, and soon.

God help us if they do something stupid.

I think I'm going to run for a political office..

Seriously.

I mean, the whole gist of this election year was basically this:

I can't give a good answer on how I'm going to fix things, but I definitely can't make it any worse than the guy who's in there now!!

If that's the case, I'm definitely going to run.

I mean, that's a gimme for a campaign slogan!

Vote for Jormengrund! He's not the best man for the job, but he'll tell you when he's going to screw you over!

Vote for Jorm! He's going to play with all of your time and cash, but at least he'll get something nice for his wife and kids!

A vote for Jormengrund is a vote for "middle America"! He'll take what you give him, and ask for more!


Really now. These are all winning slogans in my book. In fact, I think I saw something like this just last night!

Oh yeah, that was SNL spoofing about these characters.

Speaking of which..

I'm blaming EVERYONE for our 10 TRILLION in National Debt that we owe!

Why?

Well, if the Republican and Democratic committees can blame specific political figures for being there when it turned into 10 Trillion, then I can also blame you, me, the dog, the fence, and my mailbox for it as well!

Give me a break.

The National Debt has been a problem since well before I was paying attention to political stuff.

Now? Because of some economic crisis, and money problems, the major political parties are pointing the finger at someone, and trying to lay the blame of it on someone else in the "other" party.

Bah.

Grow up, admit that it was the fault of us NOT budgeting the national resources we've got, and spending when we should have been saving.

I mean, courts can foreclose and reposess homes, cars, whatever.

Why can't another country come along and reposess the US for it's default on their national loan?

I'm not saying that I'd like it, but it should be a factor.

Have the UK come back in and say "Sorry old bean, but you've not paid your loans off, and the time has come for them to be due! What's that? You've not got any dosh? Bad form, old boy. Time for you to then give me whatever assets you've got available. That includes real estate. Let's see.. 10 Trillion you say? Yes, I've got just the thing. Give me your entire country, and we'll call it settled, and paid in full!"

I know that I preach to my kids about taking responsibility for their actions.

Now? I think it's really time for our national leaders to do the same.

Time for #2..



I'm really concerned about the election this year.



As I've stated on a couple of comments, I really think the "winner" this year is going to get SCREWED.



Why?



Because they're not going to be able to accomplish ANYTHING worthwhile, and get the blame for this disaster that's spiralling out of control.



I mean, one of the warning signs to me was during the campaigns, when the Republican and Democratic election committees decided to launch some dirt stuff at local senate and governor positions.



I don't know about others, but when they try to saddle just one person as being responsible for a 10 TRILLION dollar debt, I just have to hang my head and sigh in frustration.



Honestly, how in the hell can you lay the blame of the National Debt on the shoulders of just ONE person?



How can you really blame anyone who hasn't been in Congress or Senate for more than 20 years?



I say this, because it's true.



Our National Debt has been steadily growing since I can recall any kind of presidential debate.



Now, because of this financial crisis we're in, they want to point to it, and claim that if one person had stepped up, and told everyone else to stop spending, it would have happened?



Um.. Not so much.



There have been proposals, mandates, requests, and outright demands for the government to budget wisely, and start cutting down that debt ratio.



Have they listened?



NO.



Republican, Democrat, Independent.. They all move for the same thing..



I mean, they look over a problem, and then decide "Well, let's throw more money at it! We're broke? We can't be! Let's just print more, and cover it all up and make it look good! Hey! While we're at it, this idea made me think that I need more money for doing this job! All in favor? Motion passes unanimously!"



I don't know about you, but allowing congress to pass their own payscale increases really bothers me. That's like telling an hourly employee that if he shows up for each company meeting, he can name his raise.



Yeah, now you're getting my drift.



I think I should start seeing what it would take to get into politics! I mean, if I can get into the House or Senate, I'd be set for life!



That's it!



Vote for me!



I'll not promise that I can fix anything, but hell, I definitely can't make it any worse than that other guy!



Ah, the joy of being blunt and honest really does have it's perks at times!

Two-Fer Tuesday!!

Yup, that time again..

Well, I'll start it off with this..

When I left you last week, my wife and I were arguing about who we were talking to, and how it made each other feel.

I have to say that we came to an agreement.

From now on, when I take the "artistic license" to exaggerate, or tell things in "my perspective", I'm going to be letting you all know.

This way, you'll know when I'm full of shit about a scenario, and my wife can turn off the "serious button" and read it for the crap it's meant to be without getting her feelings hurt.

Also, I'm going to try to stay away from sensitive subjects here, as there are quite a few of you out there who do read my stuff from time to time, and because my wife doesn't feel comfortable airing out things to strangers, I'll just give you posts AFTER the problems have come full circle.

Now, onto the bloggery!

This weekend SUCKED.

I mean it.

SUCKED.

I've been sick with some kind of flu/chest congestion for nearly 2 weeks now, and it seems to be getting worse instead of clearing up.

I've got the nagging cough, chest congestion, sinus congestion, and sore throat.

I haven't had the aches, pains, fever, or nausea that normally comes from "regular" flu.

However, I've also been taking Zicam, Mucinex, Nyquil, Tylenol (cold flu and sinus), and Vitamin C tablets.

You'd think with all of the pharmacology going on in my system that I'd be kicking this bug.

Newp.

Not yet.

In fact, I really feel worse today than I did yesterday.

Let's back up for a second here.

Friday was Halloween, and I was able to get home to the family and spend it with them.. Well, Kinda.

We got the kids into costume, and took them over to my mom and dad's house. Why? Because my oldest was going to a youth seminar, and my two younger ones wanted to show off their costumes. My daughter was Bat Girl, and my youngest son was a Motocross Racer.

Well, the kids made a nice haul from my parents, and I was able to ditch one kid there too, so things were looking pretty good so far!

It was at this time that I started coughing up the last lung I had left.

Not a pretty picture, to say the least.

Then, we headed for my in-laws house, for the same reason. Kids needed to show off costumes.

There, they made out like BANDITS. Not only did they get gift bags from grandma, they also got goodies from her two neighbors as well!

So, after going to two houses, my two kids each had their bags about half full, and the night hadn't even really started yet!

Then, we took the kids over to see my wife's neice. Yup. More candy. And I was on a steady downhill fall. Not only was the cough bad, but it was giving me a headache because of the constant pressure on my sinuses FROM coughing!

Well, we left there, and went to get some food. The kids made an informed decision, and we went to McDonald's. I don't know WHAT posessed us to go there, but we went.

Yeah. It was packed. So, after waiting a little while for that, we were on our way to her brother's house, where we were supposed to meet, and then take the kids around their neighborhood for some real trick-or-treating.

Me? I needed something for a headache.

Yeah. I'm a party-pooper like that.

So, because of my cough and head, I volunteered to stay behind at the house, and hand out candy for everyone who showed up.

It was boring.

Yes. Boring.

There I was, sick, coughing, fighting a nasty headache, and trying to be chipper about all of the kids showing up in costumes to get candy..

It was quite pathetic, and the ONLY saving grace was that I was able to at least see some scary movie sequences..

I really didn't enjoy my weekend.

That, and I'm really regretting showing up for work today as well, to be honest.

I just don't like being sick, and having to deal with the medicine head stuff.

It really drives me NUTS.

I'll write more later, gotta scoot for now!